Alvin Langdon Coburn. Men of Mark. London: Duckworth & Co./ New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1913. ...

Description

Thirty-three Portraits of "Men of Genius"

Laid-in invitation (present and now in archival plastic holder) was to a 1912 exhibition at the Blanchard Gallery in Los Angeles of many of these photographs. The exhibition predates publication of the book. On that invitation the subjects are referred to as "men of genius". On page 29 of Coburn's introductory comments, he thanks Arnold Bennett for suggesting the more modest "Men of Mark". Six of the photographs, including Mr. Bennett's, were taken after the Los Angeles exhibition, prior to the suggested title for the volume. Hence Coburn's original appellation "men of genius" is on the invitation. The photographs reflect a rather broad world view and include artists, writers and statesmen, among others. Henri Matisse, George Bernard Shaw, Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt are all represented.